1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an automatic dishwasher; and, more particularly, to an automatic dishwasher with a tub support for a metal tub.
2. Description of the Related Art
Most contemporary automatic dishwashers comprise a plastic wash tub supported by a structural frame. The plastic wash tub has an open face, which is sealed by a door pivotally mounted to the structural frame. For economy, the plastic wash tub is normally molded as a single piece having a bottom wall, top wall, rear wall and opposing sidewalls. The plastic tub is also molded with a channel-shaped clip, located on the sidewalls near the junction of the sidewall, bottom wall and rear wall. The structural frame generally comprises a collar portion, which surrounds the open face of the tub, and a pair of rear legs. The collar and the rear legs are connected by various other structural members.
During the operation of the dishwasher, the wash tub is subjected to varying forces because of swirling water sprayed during the wash process. Also, the wash tub is subjected to forces from the loading of the dishracks, which are supported by the sidewalls of the wash tub. The collar generally provides sufficient mounting of the face of the tub to adequately support and stabilize the front portion of the tub. To stabilize the rear of the tub, the legs are adapted to be received within the clips molded in the lower rear corner of the wash tub. The combination of the collar and the molded-in channel-shaped clips generally provide adequate support and stability for automatic washers with plastic wash tubs.
However, the combination of the collar and the clips are not useable for a metal tub because the channel-shaped clips cannot be molded in the metal tub nor can they be stamped or formed in the metal tub. A potential solution would be to weld clips to the metal tub sidewalls, but welding is a relatively slow and expensive assembly technique and is avoided whenever possible, especially in high volume products such as dishwashers. Therefore, there is a need for a simple and quick solution to mounting a metal wash tub to the structural frame in a dishwasher when a metal tub is used.